$25 Gift Card for 2011 WDW Marathon Signup

[wdwprncess77]

Hi Everyone -

Just got this email. Active.com members who sign up for the WDW Marathon before October 1 can get a $25 Disney Gift Card. Promo Code: 11ACTIVE25

If anyone's looking to sign up this could be another great perk.

 

[Mark214]

First it was the medal redesign, then it was giving free entry to one of the theme parks on the day after the marathon and now a $25 gift card. It just shows how poorly registration is going for the 2011 addition of the marathon. I think Disney has finally priced the event to the point where runners are saying enough is enough. It also shows that there is no point in registering early for the marathon. You might as well wait for the freebies to be offered.

 

[FireDancer]

Hi Everyone -

Just got this email. Active.com members who sign up for the WDW Marathon before October 1 can get a $25 Disney Gift Card. Promo Code: 11ACTIVE25

If anyone's looking to sign up this could be another great perk.

I hate when they release promo codes after I already signed up. It isn't only Disney who does this. I think I have received a promo code from Competitor (and before them Elite) for every race that I have already signed up for.

I think it probably is to combat lower than expected registration not only because of the economy but because they have priced this race so high. They also keep shooting themselves in the foot with the late release of these discounts. It used to be that the earlier you booked your Disney trip the cheaper it was. Disney had a better forecast of who was traveling when because they knew that guests who wanted to travel as cheaply as possible had an incentive to book early.

Now they release discounts closer and closer to the dates they are in effect for and they are training their guests not to book in advance. Because people wait for the discounts (and I mean room discounts, free dinning, buy 4 get 3, not just race discounts) they appear to have low registration and have to release discounts to combat it. It basically turns into a bad cycle.

The podcast crew was talking about this a week or so ago and I couldn't agree more.

 

[cewait]

I think you are correct.... I noticed the Princess has escalating pricing like many other races. disney has never had to put the "it's cheaper now" pressure on the entry process. But frankly, as much as I love this race, 2011 may be the last race. I can run 3-5 travel races for the cost of one Goofy.

 

[FFigawi]

I'm with you guys on this one. Had I know discounts would be rolling out like this, I wouldn't have given Disney an interest-free loan of my entry fee. I feel like a sucker.

 

[FireDancer]

I think you are correct.... I noticed the Princess has escalating pricing like many other races. disney has never had to put the "it's cheaper now" pressure on the entry process. But frankly, as much as I love this race, 2011 may be the last race. I can run 3-5 travel races for the cost of one Goofy.

The 2011 will probably be my last for a while too. I'm doing it in 2011 because I haven't done the full yet and for about the last 4 years one of my friends and I have been talking about doing a trip down to do the full marathon. You are right about the price and how many other destination races you can do. I expect there to be a premium for the Disney event just like everything else Disney but it is getting hard to justify, especially once I have already done it once, and when there are so many other races I want to do.

I think the next time I get the urge to do a run down in FL in the winter I will sign up for the Holiday Halfathon in Madeira beach or the Space Coast in Cocoa Beach and get a run in and a chance to see the parks with their holiday decorations still up. If you decide early enough the one in Madeira Beach only costs $50.

 

[WDWFAN9]

Agree the high price and discounts are a poor strategy.....I've done a Disney event every Jan since 2006, but won't in 2011. Oh, DH and I are still coming for Marathon Weekend to scream team, but we will be saving our registration dollars for other events. Like Charles, the cost will get me a couple of races. Insult to injury is that the cost of the half and full are exactly the same, but now the full is getting a freebie day AND the $25 gift card. Ouch, if I was thinking about doing the half I certainly would be put off by that. And, for the first time that I remember the cost to stay on-property during Marathon weekend is higher than the regular weekend price. Oh boy, I hope Disney does better in the future.

 

[marathonmommy]

You are all right...depressing. Never thought the Disney races would sink to such low marketing techniques. Drop the price and the gimmicks!

 

[TEK224]

I agree. I was planning to come and try Goofy again for 2011, but now I'm not too sure. I have a room booked, but haven't registered for the event yet, nor do I have airfare booked. I decided early not to give WDW my interest-free loan, as I have in the past.

One of my "fun" goals for 2011 was to become a "rock star", completing 5 RnR events in 2011. The first one I was looking at was NOLA in mid Feb. Don't know if I can swing WDW and NOLA basically a month apart. There's only so many race $$$ to go around.

Plus, when looking through my Triathlon mag, I see the add for a new Half-Ironman race in Oct. 2011 that is only 3 hours from home. That reg.opens this Oct. I may be registering for that.

I have to decide by the end of Oct. if I'm coming to WDW because I have to bank my DVC points by then if I'm not coming.
All I know is that whichever races I decide on, may darn hammie better heal soon!

Terri

 

[pjstevens]

wish I had looked here first. Just signed up hubby and I for the full!

 

[Kristi1357]

For once my procrastination paid off!

 

[johde]

I wondered if the $25 is for paying members of active.com. You might want to double check and make sure you're not signing up for the annual active.com fee currently at $59.99 a year.

 

[TnTsParty]

I agree Disney has priced themselves out of filling their event. A little too late on the discounts but thankfully I am registered through a charity - as that seems to be the only way to not break the bank at Disney. It also makes me feel good that I can help out the Rally Kids - childhood cancer research.

 

[chimera]

Agree the high price and discounts are a poor strategy.....I've done a Disney event every Jan since 2006, but won't in 2011. Oh, DH and I are still coming for Marathon Weekend to scream team, but we will be saving our registration dollars for other events. Like Charles, the cost will get me a couple of races. Insult to injury is that the cost of the half and full are exactly the same, but now the full is getting a freebie day AND the $25 gift card. Ouch, if I was thinking about doing the half I certainly would be put off by that. And, for the first time that I remember the cost to stay on-property during Marathon weekend is higher than the regular weekend price. Oh boy, I hope Disney does better in the future.

I'm thinking of the same for 2012. Go to WDW in Jan to scream team, but save the money for Princess. I have a chance to be a 'Perfect Princess' if I keep running those and really don't need another Donald medal.

 

[DianeL]

Mel? Will I have to refer to you as "Perfect Princess Mel" ?

 

[crashbb]

So, not only do the half marathoners not get free entry into the park on the Monday, they also do not qualify for the gift card.

Even though the entry fees are the same (which is, in my experience) unusual.

I am not impressed.

 

[marathonmommy]

Agreed...I'm bothered by the inequities of the event and may wait to do the Princess, if at all. (BUT I LOVE DISNEY!)

 

[FireDancer]

So, not only do the half marathoners not get free entry into the park on the Monday, they also do not qualify for the gift card.

Even though the entry fees are the same (which is, in my experience) unusual.

I am not impressed.

I'm not bothered by only the full marathon people getting the added bonus of the free day in the park and the gift card. Even if I were doing the half this time they are doing a harder event and deserve the perks. What I find appalling is charging the same for the full and half marathon.

When it is all said and done I plan on writing a letter to Disney to let them know about some of my disappointments. It won't be scathing as they do put on a good event but will address some of the issues like the cost and the way discounts actually hurt the people who sign up early.

 

[crashbb]

Not that anyone asked me but...

I'm okay with the special park ticket for only the marathoners. Frankly, for me it wouldn't be of much value anyway since I'll have a multiday park ticket anyway (and the one day ticket cannot be saved for a different visit or traded for something else). I suspect that it has limited value for many people.

The fact that the half and the full are the same price though, really bothers be. The fact that, with the code, it is cheaper to run the full is almost enough to get me not to run (or go to WDW). It is enough to get me not to commit to the race (or anything non-refundable) yet.

I've done many races where there is a full and a half (sometimes I'm doing the full, sometimes the half) and never seen quite this level of disparity. The most memorable was the Toronto race that gave the half marathoner a half medal. I thought it was hilarious - other half-marathoners were very offended.

 

[bunnyfoo]

Even though they offered the gift card, I don't think the registration percentage has moved at all. I wonder what they'll be giving out after October 1.